Casino playing-card gambling games are well known. A successful playing-card game, for the casino, is one which, of course, generates revenue to the casino. That, however, requires that the game be interesting enough to potential gamblers that they perceive the game to be worthy of their time and money wagered. The game should be quick and utilize standard and recognizable rules of card playing. The resolution of the wagers should also be quick and easily understood. Large payoffs (in frequency and/or amounts) should lead to increased patron interest. Over time, then, while some players may xe2x80x9cwinxe2x80x9d over the short time they play the game, the casino knows that it will generate revenue, when all players are considered, so long as the xe2x80x9coddsxe2x80x9d of winning are carefully set by the casino in accordance with well-known card occurrence, probabilities. The present invention is intended to provide an interesting card game for players, allowing them to make decisions on wagering on the possibility of certain three card poker hands being dealt to them and to the dealer. The casino can set the payoffs (in frequency and amounts) to provide the casino with a source of revenue.
The present invention relates to casino gambling by use of a playing-card game with players (one or more) wagering on a three card, stud poker, no draw playing card game. The card game can have one or more players who bet or wager and hope to win money from the casino based on the amount of money wagered on each dealt hand. Before the cards are dealt the dealer calls for all wagers to be made. The players each must place two mandatory bets and can optionally place one or two additional bets on the outcome of the dealt hands. The first mandatory bet by the player is on the possibility that the three cards dealt to the player equals or exceeds a predetermined ranking of three card poker hands. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first bet by the player(s) is whether the dealt cards to the player equals or exceeds the ranking of a pair of threes in a three card poker hand. The next mandatory bet is on the possibility that the player""s three card poker hand ranking exceeds or is beaten by the dealer""s ranked three card poker hand. An optional wager may be placed on the possibility that the player""s ranked hand and that of the dealer are the same, i.e., a tie. Another optional wager which can be placed by the player is on the possibility that the player""s hand is an exact ranked hand or an exact three dealt cards.
After wagering by the players, the players and dealer are each dealt (by the dealer) three cards from a shuffled deck or multiple decks of standard playing cards (each deck with 52 cards). The dealer and player then turn over their xe2x80x9chandsxe2x80x9d of dealt cards and compare the player""s hand against the hand of the dealer, xe2x80x9chousexe2x80x9d or casino and, in addition, against a listing of ranked three-card poker hands. Depending upon the dealt cards to the player(s) and the casino, the dealer (representing the casino) pays off (i.e., resolves the wagers) in proportion to the amount wagered on the mandatory two bets and the one or two optional bets or takes the player""s bet, if the casino xe2x80x9cwinsxe2x80x9d the bet.
The game is intended to be interesting to the player in terms of the payoffs and options presented, simple to understand, and, yet, quick in terms of the time required for the placement of bets, cards dealt and bets resolved. The game is intended to captivate the player""s interest and the interest of onlookers who may become new players so that the casino can generate funds from casino guests. In addition, the potential payoffs (in frequency and odds) and manner of wagering are sufficiently high and diverse, respectively, that a player""s interest will be maintained. Over time, of course, assuming the casino has properly set the payoff amounts, the casino will generate a positive source of revenue from players.
The present invention relates to wagering games. In particular, it relates to a method for playing a three card poker-like casino game. To the inventors"" knowledge, there are no casino wagering card-based games which allow for a three card hand of stud poker (i.e., no card is replaced by a drawn card) to be played where the player is provided with the option of wagering on the possibility of a tie outcome between the hand of the casino and the player nor are there three card casino, stud poker games where a player may place bets on either his hand or the house having the superior ranked three card poker hand.
There are many wagering games used in casino gambling. Many are based on standard playing cards, i.e., 52 cardsxe2x80x94four suits with each suit having 13 cards, 2-10, a Jack, Queen, King and an Ace. Many of these games use multiple decks. All such games, for the benefit of the casino, should be exciting and arouse the player""s interest (both with the options to be played and with the payouts compared to the amounts wagered) and relatively uncomplicated so they can be understood easily by a large number of players and onlookers (potential players to the casino). Furthermore, the wagering game should keep a player from switching to another, xe2x80x9chotterxe2x80x9d table at the time his dealer seems to be getting a better xe2x80x9cluck of the draw.xe2x80x9d The present invention by allowing a player to selectively wager on the xe2x80x9cdealerxe2x80x9d having the superior ranked three-card poker hand in comparison to the dealt hand to the player, satisfies this.
Wagering games, particularly those intended for play in casinos, should provide players with a sense of participation, the opportunity to make decisions, and reasonable odds of winning, even though the odds favor the casino, house, dealer, or banker. The game must also meet the requirements of regulatory agencies. The present invention satisfies all of these criteria.
The xe2x80x9cThree Card Pokerxe2x80x9d game described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,916 involves dealing three cards to the dealer and to the player and includes a special optional bet for a bonus payout if a player receives a preselected ranking in his hand (pairs or better). Differing from the presently disclosed and inventive game, however, the patented Three Card Poker does not contain the option or equivalent of a bonus payout for a xe2x80x9cTie Betxe2x80x9d or the ability of the player to shift from betting on himself to the dealer or house. Furthermore, in the ""916 patented xe2x80x98Three Card Pokerxe2x80x9d game, the player""s second bet of pairs or better is optional rather than mandatory.
Even more significantly, however, the description and claims of the ""916 patent recite that the player is provided with the ability to place an additional wager (a third wager) after looking at his hand such that the hands are compared (player to dealer) only if the third xe2x80x9cPlayxe2x80x9d wager is placed (and the house or dealer wins depending on which hand is better) or the player forfeits at least his ante if the third xe2x80x9cPlayxe2x80x9d bet is not placed. The present invention does not provide for the possibility of the player increasing the amount wagered after the player views his hand. Elimination of this optional bet should promote speed of the game. That, of course, is desirable to casino and to players.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774 entitled: Method of Playing Card Games allows the player to place an optional ranking type bet (pairs or better, for example) and after looking at his cards placing an optional xe2x80x9cPlayxe2x80x9d bet against the dealer which, if not placed, forfeits the Player""s ante bet. The patent states: xe2x80x9ceach player who places the second bet (the ante bet) deciding, based on the player""s hand, either to forfeit the second bet to the banker or to place a third betxe2x80x9d (the Play bet against the Dealer""s hand). The present invention does not provide this optional Play wager, after the cards are viewed by the player. While the present game is a three card poker-based casino game, it does not allow the player to wager after receiving his hand. There is no decision to the Player such that if he refuses to further wager he is forfeiting his initial ante wager. This, again, leads to a quicker and more interesting game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,892 is also prior art to the present invention. It is a variation of 5 card, no draw poker where the players are provided with 3 cards and the dealer with 2 cards. The player""s use the dealer""s cards to form his or her five card poker style hand and play, therefore, not against the dealer but to achieve certain ranked hands to obtain large payouts. This is distinct from the present invention which contemplates the player obtaining a 3 card poker-like hand and the dealer also obtaining a three card poker hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,374 issued Feb. 1, 2000 to Shuffle Master, Inc. The game described in the ""374 patent includes as a step for a method of playing a series of games that a second game is played to select a winner of a jackpot from an accumulation of players eligible to win the jackpot. Thus, a second separate game is played for determining which of the players, previously achieving a certain level by playing a first game, is entitled to win the jackpot. The game of the present invention does not contemplate a second game by a series of qualified players to determine the winner of a large jackpot. However, a large jackpot is available, if an amount is wagered, and the three cards dealt to the player who has wagered equal or exceed either a ranked three card poker hand or are three identical cards to that predetermined by the casino, e.g., the two Black Aces (Clubs and Spades) and the Ace of Hearts. Furthermore the ""374 patent does not teach nor suggest either a Tie-Bet or the possibility of betting on the dealer""s hand as exceeding that of the player""s dealt hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,993 entitled: Method of Playing a Poker-Type Wagering Game is also interesting and generally related to the subject matter of the present invention. That patent relates to the concept of dealing a pair of cards to each betting participant, face down, and the xe2x80x9chousexe2x80x9d being dealt three cards also face down which are selectively xe2x80x9crolledxe2x80x9d. Then, the combined five card stud poker hands (two cards of each player and the three house cards) are viewed with the highest stud poker hand winning. Thus, players play against one another and not against the house. The present invention does not deal only two cards to each player nor does it provide three xe2x80x9ccommunityxe2x80x9d cards to be combined with the players pair of cards to produce a five card stud poker hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,907 issued Oct. 17, 2000 is for a game involving five card stud poker. After five cards are dealt to the player (the player has an opportunity to forfeit his prior bet if he chooses not to continue the game after the third card is dealt and viewed) each five card completed hand is compared to a predetermined ranking of hands such that if the player""s hand does not achieve a minimum predetermined rank then the bet is lost or if the player""s five card hand exceeds the predetermined ranking of hands then the dealer pays according to predetermined odds based upon the achieved predetermined rank. The present game contemplates the distribution of three cards to each betting player and contemplates a comparison of each player""s hand to the house or dealer""s hand for determination of one of the bets. The ""907 patent neither teaches nor suggests a Tie-Bet, the opportunity for the player to bet on the dealer""s hand exceeding the hand dealt to the player, nor a Jackpot bet and corresponding payoff on the possibility of three exact predetermined playing cards being dealt to the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,907 issued Dec. 8, 1998 relates to a method of playing a poker variation card game wherein the dealer provides each betting player with face down cards and there is at least one xe2x80x9ccommunityxe2x80x9d or common card, originally face down, for use by all participating players. The present invention contemplates no community card for the player""s to use in forming their three card stud poker hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,041 entitled High Card Wagering Game, issued Jun. 28, 1994 and relates to a method of playing a betting game wherein each player is provided with only one card which is then compared to the dealer card and if the player""s card exceeds that of the dealer, paying off on a bet but if there is a tie then a further bet is made and resolved on the basis of the next set of individual cards dealt to both player and dealer. There is no teaching in the ""041 game of the Player betting on the possibility of a Tie, nor is there a teaching of the possibility of the player betting on the dealer""s hand exceeding that of the player""s. There is also no teaching of betting by the player on the possibility that the three cards dealt are three exact (of the 52) predetermined cards for a Jackpot payoff.
The following are believed distinctive and characterizing features of the present invention, either when the prior art is individually considered or even if combined together with one another:
(a) The opportunity for the player to bet on the xe2x80x9chousexe2x80x9d rather than on his hand such that if the dealer""s hand surpasses that of the player in a three card poker game, then the player nevertheless wins a payoff based on his wager. This aspect of the game, i.e., the ability to bet on the house rather than always with the player allows the player to continue to play although the player believes that the dealer is xe2x80x9chotxe2x80x9d or on a winning streak. In the absence of this feature, the player might consider leaving the table or game.
(b) An opportunity to place an optional wager such that if an actual tie is obtained between the ranking of the player""s three card poker hand and the dealer""s hand, then a large payout is provided to the player, based on the amount so wagered, to the extent the player has bet on a xe2x80x9ctie.xe2x80x9d Usually, tie hands (as in the game of 21 or Blackjack) yield a win for the casino or dealer. Oftentimes, in casinos, a xe2x80x9ctiexe2x80x9d of a wagering game results in a xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d i.e., a game of no consequence with the player being able to decide between playing a new game with the original ante bet or taking up the bet and walking away from the game. Here, however, the player can bet on the possibility of a tie occurring and if it does occur, then a large payout is obtained for the player.
(c) An opportunity to make a second optional wager on a precise predetermined xe2x80x9cjackpot handxe2x80x9d being dealt to the player which is comprised of three cards. If the three cards equal or exceed a predetermined ranking of three card poker hands then the jackpot is distributed to the player. Alternatively, the jackpot hand can be won only if the three dealt cards are identical to a predetermined set of three cards as, for example, the two Black Aces (Club and Spades) and the Ace of Hearts. No prior art game for three card casino gambling provides for this large payout dependent upon a separate optional bet.
The present invention encompasses a method and a preferred apparatus for playing the wagering game. A typical gaming table, with a playing surface, is modified to include specific areas that provide locations for placing the player(s) wagers, including the mandatory wagers on the possibility of the player obtaining a three card poker hand, without a drawer, of xe2x80x9cThrees or Betterxe2x80x9d and on whether the xe2x80x9cPlayerxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cHousexe2x80x9d has a higher ranked three card poker hand. As will be further explained, the present invention provides other optional bets and betting areas to provide even more interest to the game and to allow the player to win and lose more money than the wagers placed on the mandatory bets. Thus, the player is also given the opportunity to bet on the possibility that the player""s hand is a tie hand to the casino""s ranked three card poker hand. If so and if the player has bet on that possibility, then the player wins a predetermined multiple of his wager. Also, predetermined multiples of the amounts wagered on each hand is capable of being won if the player""s hand equals or exceeds a predetermined minimum of ranked three card poker hands, even if the player""s hand is less than the ranked three card poker hand of the dealer. Furthermore, if the player wagers on the Jackpot bet (a Dingo(copyright) bet) and if the hand dealt to the player equals or exceeds a predetermined ranking of hands of three card poker or, preferably, is exactly the same three cards as a predetermined set, posted by the casino before the hand""s are dealt (for example, preferably the two black Aces, Clubs and Spades and the Ace of Hearts) then the player wins the Jackpot, either a predetermined amount, an accumulated pot and/or a multiple of the amount wagered on the possibility of a Jackpot hand being dealt.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an exciting and interesting wagering game that is easy to learn, largely being based on poker and the well known ranking of poker hands, and in which the player has little incentive to switch to another, xe2x80x9chotterxe2x80x9d table when his dealer seems to be getting a better xe2x80x9cluck of the draw.xe2x80x9d The present invention allows the player to bet on either himself or the dealer as the three card poker hand winner. This is a distinctive characteristic of the present invention. Furthermore, as mentioned, the opportunity to bet on the possibility of a tie of hands, as between player and casino, is another distinctive characteristic of the present invention. Usually, as in Blackjack, a tie hand wins for the casino. Here the player can bet with the xe2x80x9chousexe2x80x9d or casino in a three card stud poker game. The player will win, too, even if his hand is a lower ranked hand than that of the dealer, if either a) he has bet on the dealer or b) even if he has bet on the player, the hand dealt to him equals or exceeds a predetermined ranking of three card hands, e.g., a pair of threes or better. Finally, there is provided the possibility of a super payoff or Jackpot paid to a player (if he placed an optional bet thereon) for the possibility of a unique three card hand being dealt to the Player. This, too, is thought to be a distinctive and characterizing feature of the present invention.
These and others aspects of the invention are thought to be novel and non-obvious over the known prior art. The invention is best understood in connection with the drawings and the detailed description of the invention and the preferred embodiment. The claims, however, define the scope of the invention.